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Summary of the Book of Numbers

This summary of the book of Numbers provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing, chronology, theme,
theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the Book of Numbers.

Title

The English name of the book comes from the Septuagint
(the pre-Christian Greek translation of the OT) and is based
on the census lists found in chs. 1; 26. The Hebrew title
of the book (bemidbar, "in the desert") is more
descriptive of its contents. Numbers presents an account
of the 38-year period of Israel's wandering in the desert
following the establishment of the covenant of Sinai (compare
1:1 with Dt 1:1).

Author and Date

The book has traditionally been ascribed to Moses. This
conclusion is based on (1) statements concerning Moses' writing
activity (e.g., 33:1-2; Ex 17:14; 24:4; 34:27) and (2) the
assumption that the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch,
are a unit and come from one author. See Introduction to
Genesis: Author and Date of Writing.

It is not necessary, however, to claim that Numbers came
from Moses' hand complete and in final form. Portions of
the book were probably added by scribes or editors from later
periods of Israel's history. For example, the protestation
of the humility of Moses (12:3) would hardly be convincing
if it came from his own mouth. But it seems reasonable to
assume that Moses wrote the essential content of the book.

Contents

Numbers relates the story of Israel's journey from Mount
Sinai to the plains of Moab on the border of Canaan. Much
of its legislation for people and priests is similar to that
in Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy. The book tells of the
murmuring and rebellion of God's people and of their subsequent
judgment. Those whom God had redeemed from slavery in Egypt
and with whom he had made a covenant at Mount Sinai responded
not with faith, gratitude and obedience but with unbelief,
ingratitude and repeated acts of rebellion, which came to
extreme expression in their refusal to undertake the conquest
of Canaan (ch. 14). The community of the redeemed forfeited
their part in the promised land. They were condemned to live
out their lives in the desert; only their children would
enjoy the fulfillment of the promise that had originally
been theirs (cf. Heb 3:7 -- 4:11).

Theological Teaching

In telling the story of Israel's desert wanderings, Numbers
offers much that is theologically significant. During the
first year after Israel's deliverance from Egypt, the nation
entered into covenant with the Lord at Sinai to be the people
of his kingdom, among whom he pitched his royal tent (the
tabernacle) -- this is the story of Exodus. As the account of
Numbers begins, the Lord organizes Israel into a military
camp. Leaving Sinai, they march forth as his conquering army,
with the Lord at the head, to establish his kingdom in the
promised land in the midst of the nations. The book graphically
portrays Israel's identity as the Lord's redeemed covenant
people and its vocation as the servant people of God, charged
with establishing his kingdom on earth. God's purpose in
history is implicitly disclosed: to invade the arena of fallen
humanity and effect the redemption of his creation -- the mission
in which his people are also to be totally engaged.

Numbers also presents the chastening wrath of God against
his disobedient people. Because of their rebellion (and especially
the nation's refusal to undertake the conquest of Canaan),
Israel was in breach of covenant. The fourth book of the
Pentateuch presents a sobering reality: The God who had entered
into covenant with Abraham (Ge 15; 17), who had delivered
his people from bondage in the exodus (Ex 14-15), who had
brought Israel into covenant with himself as his "treasured
possession" (Ex 19; see especially Ex 19:5) and who had revealed
his holiness and the gracious means of approaching him(Lev
1-7) was also a God of wrath. His wrath extended to his errant
children as well as to the enemy nations of Egypt and Canaan.

Even Moses, the great prophet and servant of the Lord,
was not exempt from God's wrath when he disobeyed God. Ch. 20, which records his error, begins with the notice of Miriam's
death (20:1) and concludes with the record of Aaron's death
(20:22-29). Here is the passing of the old guard. Those whom
God has used to establish the nation are dying before the
nation has come into its own.

The questions arise: Is God finished with the nation as
a whole (cf. Ro 11:1)? Are his promises a thing of the past?
In one of the most remarkable sections of the Bible -- the account
of Balaam, the pagan diviner (chs. 22 - 24) -- the reply is given.
The Lord, working in a providential and direct way, proclaims
his continued faithfulness to his purpose for his people
despite their unfaithfulness to him.

Balaam is Moab's answer to Moses, the man of God. He
is an internationally known prophet who shares the pagan
belief that the God of Israel is like any other deity who
might be manipulated by acts of magic or sorcery. But from
the early part of the narrative, when Balaam first encounters
the one true God in visions, and in the narrative of the
journey on the donkey (ch. 22), he begins to learn that dealing
with the true God is fundamentally different from anything
he has ever known. When he attempts to curse Israel at the
instigation of Balak king of Moab, Balaam finds his mouth
unable to express the curse he desires to pronounce. Instead,
from his lips come blessings on Israel and curses on its
enemies (chs. 23 - 24).

In his seven prophetic oracles, Balaam proclaims God's
great blessing for his people (see 23:20). Though the immediate
enjoyment of this blessing will always depend on the faithfulness
of his people, the ultimate realization of God's blessing
is sure -- because of the character of God (see 23:19). Thus
Numbers reaffirms the ongoing purposes of God. Despite his
judgment on his rebellious people, God is still determined
to bring Israel into the land of promise. His blessing to
Israel rests in his sovereign will.

The teaching of the book has lasting significance for Israel
and for the church (cf. Ro 15:4; 1Co 10:6,11). God does display
his wrath even against his errant people, but his grace is
renewed as surely as is the dawn and his redemptive purpose will not be thwarted.

Special Problem

The large numbers of men conscripted into Israel's army
(see, e.g., the figures in 1:46; 26:51) have puzzled many
interpreters. The numbers of men mustered for warfare seem
to demand a total population in excess of 2,000,000. Such
numbers appear to be exceedingly large for the times, for
the locale, for the desert wanderings, and in comparison
with the inhabitants of Canaan. See note on 3:43.

Various possibilities have been suggested to solve this
problem. Some have thought that the numbers may have been
corrupted in transmission. The present text, however, does
not betray textual difficulties with the numbers.

Others have felt that the Hebrew word for "thousand" might
have a different meaning here from its usual numerical connotation.
In some passages, for example, the word is a technical term
for a company of men that may or may not equal 1,000 (e.g.,
Jos 22:14, "family division"; 1Sa 23:23, "clans"). Further,
some have postulated that this Hebrew word means "chief"
(as in Ge 36:15). In this way the figure 53,400 (26:47) would
mean "53 chiefs plus 400 men." Such a procedure would yield
a greatly reduced total, but it would be at variance with
the fact that the Hebrew text adds the "thousands" in the
same way it adds the "hundreds" for a large total. Also,
this would make the proportion of chiefs to fighting men
top-heavy (59 chiefs for 300 men in Simeon).

Another option is to read the Hebrew word for "thousand"
with a dual meaning of "chief" and "1,000," with the chiefs
numbering one less than the stated figure. For example, the
46,500 of Reuben (1:20) is read as 45 chiefs and 1,500 fighting
men, the 59,300 of Simeon (1:23) is read as 58 chiefs and
1,300 fighting men, etc. But in this case, as in the former,
the totals of 1:46 and 2:32 must then be regarded as errors of understanding (perhaps by later scribes).

Still another
approach is to regard the numbers as symbolic figures rather
than as strictly mathematical. The numerical value of the
Hebrew letters in the expression bene yisra'el ("the
Israelite community," 1:2) equals 603 (the number of the
thousands of the fighting men, 1:46); the remaining 550 (plus
1 for Moses) might come from the numerical equivalent of
the Hebrew letters in the expression "all the men . . . who
are able to serve in the army" (1:3). This symbolic use of
numbers (called "gematria") is not unknown in the Bible (see
Rev 13:18), but it is not likely in Numbers, where there
are no literary clues pointing in that direction. (For one
more option [hyperbole] see note in 1Ch 12:23-27.)

While the problem of the large numbers has not been satisfactorily
solved, the Bible does point to a remarkable increase of
Jacob's descendants during the four centuries of their sojourn
in Egypt (see Ex 1:7-12). With all their difficulties, these
numbers also point to the great role of providence and miracles
in God's dealings with his people during their life in the
desert (see note on 1:46).

Structure and Outline

The book has three major divisions, based on Israel's geographical
locations. Each of the three divisions has two parts, as
the following breakdown demonstrates: (1) Israel at Sinai,
preparing to depart for the land of promise (1:1 -- 10:10),
followed by the journey from Sinai to Kadesh (10:11 -- 12:16);
(2) Israel at Kadesh, delayed as a result of rebellion (13:1 -- 20:13),
followed by the journey from Kadesh to the plains of Moab
(20:14 -- 22:1); (3) Israel on the plains of Moab, anticipating
the conquest of the land of promise (22:2 -- 32:42), followed
by appendixes dealing with various matters (chs. 33 - 36).

Israel at
Sinai, Preparing to Depart for the Promised Land (1:1;10:10)